High speed elevator systems are necessary in modern high rise buildings in order to reduce passenger trip time. Such elevators commonly travel at speeds of one thousand feet per minute and higher. When the elevator car travels at such high speeds, it is important that car noise and vibration be kept at a minimum to ensure passenger comfort. New car suspension assemblies and rail guiding improvements can achieve very quiet and smooth rides over the majority of the path of travel of the car in the hoistway, however, air turbulence will result in the hoistway due to the confined nature of a hoistway, and the high rates of speed at which the elevator car and counterweight move through the hoistway. Such air turbulence is created both by the car and by the counterweight. Car-induced turbulence can cause noise and vibration in the car as the latter passes each landing sill and hoistway door; and car-induced plus counterweight-induced turbulence can cause noise and vibration in the car when the car and counterweight pass each other in the hoistway. This invention is directed toward the reduction of the latter cause of noise and vibration in the car.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,468 granted Mar. 23, 1976 to Miura, et al. concerns the reduction of noise and car vibration in an elevator. This patent suggests the use of a long skirt below the car door on the hoistway landing side of the car to reduce sill vibration and noise; and the use of guide plates mounted on the top and bottom of the elevator car to deflect air away from the car. A problem with the car guide plates in the aforesaid patent is that they deflect air toward the counterweight assembly. Thus the guide plate will create a turbulent air condition in the path of travel of the counterweight. When the counterweight passes through this turbulence it will be passing the car and will reflect the turbulence back toward the car. This type of arrangement will increase noise and vibration in the car as the car and counterweight pass each other in the hoistway.